Study Material — 1 PYQs (2019–2019) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC CHSL Find the Error (underlined parts) is a frequently tested subtopic — 1 previous year questions from 2019–2019 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
SSC CHSL Find the Error (underlined parts) — Past Exam Questions
1 questions from actual SSC CHSL papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12019Previous Year Pattern
Read the sentence carefully and identify the part containing an error:
The committee (A) have decided / (B) to implement / (C) the new policy / (D) next month. / No error (E)
Concept Notes
Find the Error (underlined parts)— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
You must analyze each underlined part for grammar violations including subject-verb disagreement, tense errors, preposition mistakes, article errors, and word usage problems. Only one part contains the error, or sometimes no error exists
Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects need singular verbs, plural subjects need plural verbs
2
Tense Consistency
Past, present, future must align logically
3
Preposition Errors
Wrong preposition usage (in/on/at/by/with)
4
Article Mistakes
Incorrect use of a/an/the
5
Pronoun Errors
Wrong pronoun forms or unclear references
6
Comparison Errors
Faulty comparative/superlative forms
7
Parallelism
Elements in series must have same grammatical form
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 2-3 error spotting questions. Most errors (60%) involve subject-verb disagreement or tense mistakes. Preposition errors account for 25%, while article and pronoun errors make up 15%.
Shortcut Formula 1 - PASTA Method:
P - Preposition check (in/on/at/by)
A - Article verification (a/an/the)
S - Subject-verb agreement
T - Tense consistency
A - Adjective/Adverb usage
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Check subject-verb agreement in part A
2
Step 2
'Committee' is collective noun, treated as singular
3
Step 3
'Have' is plural verb, should be 'has'
4
Step 4
Parts B, C, D are grammatically correct
Answer: A (Error in subject-verb agreement)
Shortcut Formula 2 - Time Signal Method:
Identify time signals (yesterday/tomorrow/since/for) to catch tense errors quickly. If you see 'since 2010' with simple past, it's wrong - needs present perfect.
Worked Example 2:
Sentence: (A) She is working (B) in this company (C) since five years (D) without any break.
1
Step 1
Spot time signal 'since five years' in part C
2
Step 2
'Since' indicates starting point, needs present perfect tense
3
Step 3
'Is working' should be 'has been working'
4
Step 4
Also 'since five years' should be 'for five years'
Answer: A (Tense error with time signal)
Shortcut Formula 3 - Elimination Strategy:
Read options A and B first. 70% errors occur in first two parts. If both seem correct, check C and D. This saves 30-40 seconds per question.
Common Trap - The #1 Mistake: Students often choose 'No Error' when they can't spot obvious mistakes. In SSC CGL, only 15-20% questions have no error. Always re-examine using PASTA method before selecting option E. Many students miss subtle preposition errors like 'different than' (wrong) vs 'different from' (correct).
Another major trap involves collective nouns. Words like team, family, committee, class can be singular or plural depending on context. When acting as unit = singular verb. When emphasizing individual members = plural verb.
Practice tip: Read each underlined part separately, not as flowing sentence. This helps identify grammatical violations that sound correct in context but are technically wrong.
Key Points to Remember
PASTA Method: Check Preposition-Article-Subject/Verb-Tense-Adjective/Adverb in sequence
70% of errors occur in first two underlined parts (options A and B)
Time signals 'since/for/by' are major tense error indicators in SSC CGL
Collective nouns (team/committee/family) take singular verbs when acting as unit
Only 15-20% of error spotting questions have 'No Error' as correct answer
Subject-verb disagreement accounts for 60% of all error spotting questions
Different FROM (correct) vs Different THAN (incorrect) - common preposition trap
Present perfect tense required with 'since/for' duration expressions
Eliminate options A-B first, then check C-D to save time
Read underlined parts separately, not as flowing sentence for better accuracy
Exam-Specific Tips
SSC CGL contains 2-3 error spotting questions worth 2-6 marks total
Subject-verb agreement errors appear in 60% of error spotting questions
Preposition errors constitute 25% of all grammatical mistakes tested
The students (A) was asked / (B) to submit / (C) their assignments / (D) before the deadline. / No error
Practice 2hard
The manager, along with his team members, are (A) reviewing the proposal that was submitted (B) by the consultant, who have (C) extensive experience in the field of digital marketing and will present (D) their findings next week. Find the error.
Practice 3hard
Although she had completed (A) her degree in engineering, she prefers (B) to pursue a career in music, which is (C) a field that requires (D) dedication and passion. Find the error.
Practice 4hard
The research team, which comprises (A) experts from various disciplines, have submitted (B) their findings to the journal, but the editor has not yet (C) decided whether it will be accepted (D) or rejected. Find the error.
Practice 5hard
Since the company had launched (A) its new product line last year, it has been (B) receiving positive feedback from customers, and the sales team are (C) confident that the momentum will be maintained (D) throughout the fiscal year. Find the error.
Practice 6hard
The committee (A) have decided that the new policy, which affects (B) all employees who works (C) in the administrative department, will be implemented (D) next month. Find the error.
Practice 7hard
The professor, along with his research assistants, are preparing (A) a comprehensive study on climate change, and they have been (B) working on it for the past two years, which demonstrates (C) their commitment to addressing (D) this critical issue. Find the error.
Practice 8hard
The research team has been working on (A) this project since (B) five years, and they have made (C) significant progress despite of (D) numerous obstacles. Find the error.
60-Second Revision — Find the Error (underlined parts)